UPDATED: Police identify Stonington High student killed by train

Published April 26. 2014 10:00AM | Updated April 27. 2014 7:23PM

Stonington — Police have identifed a Stonington High School student who was struck and killed by an Amtrak train near the Palmer Street crossing in Pawcatuck Friday night as Megan Briggs, 18, of Liberty Street.

Police released her identity this morning saying that they received a call at 9:19 p.m., that a train had struck something on the tracks. Stonington and Amtrak police responded and found that she had been struck and was dead.

Her body was taken to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Police Capt. Jerry Desmond said this morning that the incident remains under investigation.

On Saturday afternoon, Stonington schools' Assistant Superintendent Nikki Gullickson sent a message to parents of Stonington High students notifying them that a student had died, but she did not name the student.

She said the family and close friends of the girl were being contacted by school officials, and that counseling services would be available to students on Monday. She asked students to respect the family's need for confidentiality.

On Saturday, Briggs' friends and classmates had taken to Facebook and Twitter to post their rememberances of her.